


Fast In My Car

by TDD



Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV), The 100 (TV)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, F/F, Smoking, Swearing, Walkers (Walking Dead), qtwd - Freeform, somewhat canon related, starts canonically at s2 ep3 or 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2018-11-14 10:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11206164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDD/pseuds/TDD
Summary: Problems seem never ending in the apocalypse.Elyza Lex has her job, her daily tasks. Helping the Abigails with their property gives her things to do and a place to live. Which is considered practically a miracle with the current state of the world. Thomas Abigail tells her his close 'friend' is just past the Mexican border on a yacht and someone needs to help him cross territories."Why can't Luis do it?" she complained.Alas, despite complaints, Elyza packed her bags.Destination: The Pacific Ocean.Mission: Collect Victor Strand.How hard could it be?





	1. Everybody Is Unlucky

DAY 17 OF THE APOCALYPSE

“Watch out!” shouted Strand. Madison ducked just before Strand swung his crowbar and the sharp tip lodged into the walker’s skull.

“There’s too many of them,” said Madison as she looked around the disheveled convenience store. Walkers were coming in from the front doors and the broken windows.

“I counted 7. We can take them.” Strand exchanged a glance with Madison. She nodded and lifted her bat higher. She took a step forward and swung at the nearest walking dead.

Elyza Lex shook her head as she watched the older blonde woman swing and miss through the store window. The glass of the window was shattered all over the floor. It crunched under a walker’s feet. 

Elyza took one last drag from her cigarette and dropped it on the ground. She flattened it with her boot and took out a knife from her back pocket.

She sighed under her breath and walked towards the store.

Strand ran the nearest walker through with the end of the crowbar.

He ripped the weapon out of the body, splattering blood everywhere.

“This way!” He turned and took off down an aisle. Madison bashed a walker’s skull in with her bat and ran after Strand, going further into the store.

Strand said, “There has to be a back exit.” He hopped over the counter of the DVD rental section and landed in front of a white door. He grabbed the doorknob and jiggled it back and forth.

“Damn it!” Strand kicked the door hard. Behind him, he heard Madison grunt and the distinct sound of a bat hitting flesh.

Painfully aware that they were running out of time, Strand wedged the crowbar between the door and doorjamb. He put his weight on the crowbar, trying to force the door open.

A dead walker…er… a _more_ dead walker twitched on the ground for a moment before stilling. Blood from Elyza’s knife dripped onto her pant leg as she followed the sounds of the man yelling, the woman’s bat, and the groans of the walkers.

“Got it!” Strand yelled out. He pushed the door open further and beckoned Madison to hurry up. Suddenly, he heard a groan and turned just in time to see a walking corpse come at him from the open door. Its teeth clicked and snapped like an animal.

Strand cursed as he punched it in the nose. The walker staggered backwards into the room and Strand hastily reached for the door, slamming it closed again.

“Nevermind. Not that way.”

Madison’s bloodied hands held onto the wooden bat, her arms shaking with adrenaline. She was scared, tired, and hungry. The only thing that kept her will up was the thought of her kids.

A walker neared her. Madison bared her teeth and brought the bat above her head with both hands.

She swung the bat down into its head, breaking the skin of the forehead and cracking the bone underneath. The blood squelched and splattered, painting the store floor crimson.

The walker hit the ground with a thump.

Much to Madison’s chagrin, the bat had also snapped.

Feeling angry and frightened, she threw the wooden stub onto the floor.

With two walkers left, Madison and Strand’s hearts pounded. Strand hopped back over the counter and stood next to her.

Madison said that she needed a new weapon.

Strand nodded and raised his crowbar.

Before they could move, something black whipped through the air and struck one of the walkers in the side of the head. Blood squirted from the entry point of the knife in the walker’s temple. It fell sideways onto the tiled floor.

Another knife flew out from the same aisle and hit its target. The other body landed on top of the other defeated walker, arm outstretched with a rotten, dirty hand.

Black boots walked out from an aisle. The new figure approached a stunned Strand and Madison.

Strand straightened and lowered his crowbar, recognition flashing in his eyes. Madison, however, clenched her fights tightly.

Elyza smiled bright and put her hands on her hips. “Job well done. You ended up barely needing any help.”

Madison narrowed her eyes and swallowed to wet her dry throat.

“Who are you?” she asked.

Elyza reached one hand up to her sunglasses and removed them, revealing deep blue eyes.

“I’m Elyza Lex.”

=•==•==•===•====•

“You were late,” chided Strand.

“Sorry,” smirked Elyza. “Couldn’t find a place to park.” She turned the steering wheel of the sedan, driving them down an abandoned road. In fact, all the roads were abandoned, with no walker or person in sight.

Strand rolled his eyes at her joke and said, “Turn left here.” She did as she was told, relying on him to navigate her to the beach where the motor dinghy was tied.

“Where’s Luis?” asked Strand.

“Thomas told him to stay,” replied Elyza.

From the back, Madison asked, “Who are Luis and Thomas?”

Elyza glanced at Strand. She would leave most of the talking to him, with her being unfamiliar with this woman.  

She also didn’t know what Strand’s relationship with the other woman in the car was like. How much did they trust each other? How much would they sacrifice for each other? The other woman’s tone was a little clipped and guarded. Elyza would have to watch them closely to understand why that was and if that could change.

Strand answered, “Thomas and Luis are friends of mine in Mexico. The Abigail belongs to Thomas and his family, the Abigails. I arranged for Thomas to send someone to bring us into Mexico to where they are.”

“So, we weren’t on a supply run at all. That was an arrangement to meet her,” said Madison, pointing at Elyza.

“Precisely.”

Madison challenged Strand, “What if my family doesn’t want to go to Mexico?”

Elyza’s hands tightened just slightly on the steering wheel. She flashed Strand a confused look. He hadn’t said anything to her about a family and she hadn’t been aware that the woman would be joining them on their journey. She had been told that she only needed to secure passage for two people; for herself and Strand.

Strand mouthed to Elyza, “Later.”

Then, he turned in his seat to look at the other woman.

“They can discuss it on the ship with everyone if you want. But what you’ll most likely witness is that they will come to the same conclusion that I’ve already come to. Mexico is the most logical destination.”

“For what reason?”

“A multitude of reasons, Madison. But the reason that we can’t live on my ship forever should suffice.”

Madison bit down on her tongue and her hesitance as Strand turned in his seat again, facing forwards.

He pointed out the window. “There. That’s the beach with the dinghy.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Elyza watched Strand and Madison walk down to the beach with their supplies before she drove the sedan into a small alleyway. She got out and opened a dumpster, removing a few black trash bags. She gagged at the rotten and rancid smell, which was similar to walker breath. Covering her nose and mouth with her hand, she threw the trash bags over the car one by one. Once it was covered, she pulled the dumpster in front of the car, hiding it from view.

Odds were, they would never need the car again. But Elyza would rather the car remained an option should she ever need it.

She tucked the car keys into her jacket pocket and wiped her hands on her pants. She jogged across the street and down the beach to where Strand and Madison were washing their blood-stained hands in the ocean. Then they began piling supplies that they had found into the dinghy, including a black duffle bag that Elyza had brought with her from Baja California. That was what the money was in. There was also some food, ammunition, and her personal belongings.

=•==•==•===•====•

“So, what are your kids’ names?” asked Elyza as Strand tied the dinghy to the back of the Abigail.

“Nick and Alicia. There’s also my partner, Travis, and his son Chris.”

“Is that all?” Elyza asked, hoping the answer was yes.

No dice.

“There’s two people we picked up along the way. Daniel and his daughter Ofelia.”

Elyza nodded but she didn’t understand. It was unusual for people to be ‘picked up’ during the apocalypse. And Strand wasn’t the most hospitable type. Did that mean that every person on that boat was there for a reason?

Maybe Madison was a doctor.

Maybe Travis was a mechanic.

Maybe Daniel was an engineer.

Elyza was in the dark. But she would figure it out.

Someone descended the stairs of the yacht to their small boat.

“Mom?”

Elyza looked up at the voice. Madison stood carefully in the dinghy and boarded the yacht. She embraced her son and he noncommittally hugged her back. Strand began to unload the cargo in their dinghy. Elyza moved to help him.

Nick asked, “Did you guys find anything?” He eyed the supplies in the boat. “Doesn’t look like much.”

Madison answered, “We got bandages for Ofelia and food for all of us.”

Nick nodded at Elyza. “Who’s she?”

Elyza heaved the last bag, the black duffle bag, onto the yacht and boarded herself.

“Elyza. Elyza Lex.” She held her hand out to him.

Nick only stared at it, grimacing slightly.

“Alright then.” Elyza dropped her hand against her thigh.

Madison answered, “She’s a friend of Strand’s. She’s going to help us get to our next stop.”

Nick asked unenthused, “Which is where?”

Madison dismissed his question. “We’ll talk about it as a group on the yacht. C’mon, Nick.”

Elyza watched as Madison and Nick took some supplies in their arms and made their way up onto the main part of the boat.

Elyza turned to Strand. “What’s his problem?”

Strand chuckled.

“You mean aside from the end of the world as we know it?”

=•==•==•===•====•

Elyza stood at the back of the dining area, leaning against the wall, as she watched the group argue.

“What the hell is in Mexico?”

“We’ll have everything that we already have here but it will be _safer_.”

“With strangers?”

“Trustworthy strangers.”

“I don’t know…”

“We can’t stay on this ship forever. We’re running out of supplies.”

“We can take it somewhere else. Why Mexico?”

“We don’t know anywhere else.”

Elyza made eye contact with Strand. He stood at the head of the table, leaning on his arms. The group was seated around the table, talking back and forth. Elyza saw the ship keys clutched in Strand’s hand.

There was a predictable conclusion to this.

This ship wasn’t going anywhere without Strand on it. And he was the one person who had already made up his mind.

Strand looked back at the group and straightened.

Where the ship went wasn’t really up for debate. Should the group decide to not choose Mexico, they would have to disembark the vessel and find their own way. Should they indeed choose Mexico, the Abigail would take them there, led by Strand.

Elyza didn’t know this group well or what bridges were formed or burned between these individuals. But in her head, there was one clear direction, a pathway that was more polished.

Mexico meant a house, food, land, and safety.

Simple as that.

Instead of telling them outright that they would be kicked off the ship if they didn’t want to join Strand’s plan, he was letting them come to the same conclusion that he has come to on their own.  

History showed that dictators get overthrown. When people make their own decisions, they feel good and empowered. Strand wasn’t about to give this group a reason to steal his keys as they throw his body overboard for being a dick.

“There’s a house for us to sleep in. There are strand’s friends. We’ll be safe. What more could we want?” said a girl.

The choice was an illusion.

She saw this. “I don’t think this should really be up for discussion.” The girl shrugged. “The right thing to do seems obvious to me.”

This was the moment that Elyza decided to butt in.

“She’s right.”

The girl looked at her.

“I know you’re all scared and unsure. But this is the best course of action. The Abigails are wealthy and they have a lot of land and a lot of resources. I’ve been to their estate. You’ll be well taken care of.”

Daniel asked, “And how can we know that we can trust you?”

Travis spoke up, turning to address Daniel, “She helped Madison and Strand when they were on land.”

“Maybe for whatever plan she has to work she needs us alive. Even her name sounds made up.”

Elyza fought the urge to roll her eyes. “We still have a few days before we reach Mexico. Maybe you can learn to trust me in that time.”

“We’ll see.” Daniel got up and announced that he was going fishing.

The youngest person, Travis’s son, said he wanted to help.

The girl who Elyza had agreed with before, gave Elyza one last glance and then left the room. Eventually, only Elyza and another woman remained.

“Always enjoy a warm welcome,” joked Elyza sarcastically.

“Sorry about that. That was my father. He can be a little cold sometimes.”

The woman crossed her arms in front of herself. Elyza could see a sadness in her eyes. Something that clicked within Elyza on a human level. This person was grieving.

Elyza sat down in the chair next to her.

“What’s your name?”

“Ofelia. Sorry, I forgot what your name is.”

“That’s alright.” She smiled. “I’m Elyza. Nice to meet you.”

Ofelia smiled back at her but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“This is an interesting group,” remarked Elyza.

“We’re dysfunctional.”

“Most families are.”

Ofelia gave her a look. “I don’t know if I would use that word. But… dysfunctional works.”

“Actually, the essence of being dysfunctional is that it _doesn’t_ work.”

Elyza smirked humorlessly at her own joke. Ofelia tried to smile back but then looked solemnly at the dining table, tracing the grooves of the wood with her finger.

“I see what you did there.”

Elyza cleared her throat. “I want it to work, though. I want to help all of you. That’s why I’m here.”

“I believe you. I think the others can grow to believe it too. With some time. Also, if you can manage to feed them, that would help too.”

This time when Ofelia and Elyza chuckled, it was genuine.

“So, what is the rundown? Tell me about them.”

Ofelia sighed. “Well, there’s Travis and Chris. Travis does his best around here. He helps fix things when the boat isn’t working right. Chris is just a kid. He doesn’t know what to do and he’s just as confused internally as externally. And his mom… died. Recently. Travis shot her so that she wouldn’t turn.”

Elyza’s heart dropped. “Oh. That’s- that’s awful.”

“My mother died recently too. There’s not a lot that I understand. I keep thinking I want to google how to deal with grief- how dumb is that- but I know that’s not really it. I don’t want the internet or wi-fi or the conveniences that we had before. I just want things in here-” she patted her heart “to go back to the way they were.”

Elyza didn’t want to say it. But she did anyway.

“You can’t go back. You have to move forward.” Her eyebrows crinkled. The reality sucked. But the fantasy sucked even worse because it was just that- a fantasy.

“I know. But is that even possible? What if all that’s left is just doom?” Ofelia sniffed. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to… I didn’t mean to do that. I’m starting to sound like my father.” She chuckled exasperatedly at herself.

“Is he a real hard ass?” asked Elyza lightheartedly.

“The worst. But I know he means well. For me at least. I can’t help but feel like he was somehow prepared for all of this. Walkers. And the… ‘apocalypse’.”

Elyza hummed in understanding. She got that vibe too.

“Can you tell me about the other three?”

“Well, Madison is incredibly protective of her children. Nick needs more attention, though.”

“Any reason why?”

“Nick’s a drug addict. He’s in withdrawal and looks for pills all the time. Before the end of the world, I’m sure it was as hard for Madison as it is now to look after him. Alicia is the one who had a set path. She was supposed to go to college. Have a great career. Start a nice family of her own. She was going to do all the things that she wanted.

“But now the things that she wants aren’t attainable anymore. And her mom still doesn’t pay attention to her.” Ofelia shook her head.

“The things that she wants could change.”

“They’re going to have to. The world isn’t the same.”

“What do _you_ want, Ofelia?”

“Hope,” she said. “I really need some hope.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Elyza was given a bed in a room with two beds. Travis and Madison had their own room. Nick and Chris shared a room and it looked like before Elyza’s arrival, Alicia had had this room to herself.  

Elyza put her bag down on the bed that was made with unused linens. The other bed had a crumpled blanket and ruffled pillow so it was clearly taken.

She sat down on the sheets. She got out a leather-bound journal and a pencil from her bag. She started writing.

_Day 17- Night_

_Breaking the ice with these people is hard. I’ll need more than just my natural charm and good looks to win them over._

_That sounded arrogant. And shallow._

_Oh well._

_I’ll need to talk to Strand tomorrow about securing passage for the others. He didn’t tell Luis over the radio that there were more. I don’t know why he didn’t tell us. Maybe he thought Luis and Thomas wouldn’t help him at all if he told them how big his party was. Maybe he really is planning on only saving himself. Like I said, I don’t know._

_So far, I’ve connected the most with Ofelia. She seems nice. And desperate._

_Maybe that’s why she trusts me._

_Lot of pain in this group._

_Addiction. Loss. Grief. Neglect. Not to mention the world is ending._

_Hopefully, they’ll all warm up to the idea of Mexico. And none of us die in the process of getting there._

Elyza closed the journal.

It was something that she did at least once a day. To have a medium where she could decompress her thoughts and put out her emotions helped her get through the day. It made things clearer and forced her to reflect.

She put her journal and pencil away. Then she took off her leather jacket and hung it on the back of the door. Her boots stood neatly side by side at the foot of the bed.

Dressed in only her white tank top and jeans, Elyza lay down on the bed, feeling tension release in her muscles, replaced with an aching sensation.

It had been a long day and she was tired.

She didn’t want her eyes to droop closed before she put on sleepwear and brushed her teeth. But she couldn’t help how nice it felt when her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled deeply.

It was only when the sound of the door opening and closing startled her awake, that she realized she had fallen asleep.

Elyza jolted a little bit, her immediate reaction being one of caution and suspicion. But when she saw the girl, Alicia, standing in front of the door, her guard fell again.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Elyza reassured her, “It’s alright. Wasn’t deep in sleep anyway. A pin drop could’ve woken me up probably.”

“I’ll just get some clothes and go change in the bathroom.” Somewhat hastily, Alicia gathered up her garments and left as quickly as she had arrived.

Deciding that now was the time, Elyza changed clothes as well and checked out the bathrooms for the first time.

When she returned to her room, Alicia was sitting on her bed, looking at her arm. Elyza noticed the black ink on the girl’s forearm and was grateful that they had a mutual interest in something.

Elyza thought back to what she wrote in her journal. _Breaking the ice?_

Alicia looked up at Elyza as she closed the door and walked to her bed.

Elyza asked, “Did you know that every 4 out of 10 Millennials have a tattoo?”

“What?” asked Alicia confused.

Elyza sat down on her own bed, opposite to Alicia. “Your arm.”

Alicia looked down at her tattoo again. “Oh. No, I didn’t know that.”

“I have two tattoos myself.”

“Do you?” Alicia didn’t look up, still tracing the heart on her arm with her eyes.

“I’ve got one on both shoulder blades.”

“What are they of?”

“The one on the left is a compass. And the one on the right is a koala.”

Alicia nodded but didn’t say anything.

It occurred to Elyza that maybe Alicia’s tattoo wasn’t something that she wanted to talk about with her. Or rather something that she wasn’t ready to talk about.

Maybe some other time then.

“How old are you?” asked Elyza.

“17,” answered Alicia. “I’m guessing you’re like 20.”

“Do I really look that old?” joked Elyza.

“Oh, sorry, that’s not what I meant.” She looked sheepish.

Elyza gave her a break. “It’s the leather jacket, isn’t it? Makes me look more mature.”

Alicia glanced at the jacket hanging on the door. “It suits you.”

It wasn’t just the leather jacket, of course. It was the whole Elyza Lex ensemble. The sunglasses. The boots. The gait. The _confidence._ Alicia didn’t know anyone in her former high school that walked like Elyza Lex walked. Her image was so unique.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

There was a pause, a quiet lull. Neither girl knew what to say. With the end of society as they knew it and the dead rising from their graves, some things still remained the same.

Awkward silences. Small talk. Avoiding frequent eye contact.

The newly acquainted roommates twiddled their thumbs and folded their legs under themselves.

Elyza broke the silence. “Well, I should hit the hay. Need to be well rested for tomorrow. I’ve already fallen asleep once tonight so…”

Alicia hummed. “Another day of doing nothing to look forward to.”

“We can do something together tomorrow. If you want to.”

“Like what?”

“You can give me a tour of the boat, maybe?”

“There’s not much to see.”

“You can show me how to use the radio.”

“No one ever answers.”

Elyza racked her brain to remember what the younger Clark sibling suffered from.

Oh, right.

Neglect.

Alicia didn’t think that Elyza genuinely wanted to spend time with her.

“I would appreciate the company. I don’t know anyone on board besides Strand so…” Elyza trailed off again, her explanation hanging in the air. “It could be as simple as playing a game. Do we have chess?” asked Elyza hopefully.

Alicia raised her eyebrows. “You can play chess?”

“Yeah. Can you?”

“No, I never learned.”

Elyza let out a small smile. “I can teach you. It’s not that hard.”

Elyza expected Alicia to reject her suggestion again. But to her surprise…

“Okay. Sure.” Alicia’s head nodded a little bit.

Before the girl could change her mind, Elyza said, “Great. It’s a date, then.”      

=•==•==•===•====•

DAY 18- MORNING

With her pointer finger, Elyza pushed the sunglasses further up her nose. She stood in the wheelhouse with Strand. He leaned over the center table to inspect his maps.

“You have a contact on the other side of the border?” asked Strand.

“Yep.”

“And he’s going to come pick up the money when we’re at the border with the Abigail?”

“Yep.”

“Okay, good.”

“Strand, I gotta ask you something, mate,” said Elyza with her casual Australian accent.

Strand straightened in front of the table and turned to Elyza.

He said, “I know there are more people than you expected...”

Elyza gave Strand an incredulous expression. “You think? I only secured passage for two people. You and me. How the hell are we supposed to bring that group over the border? You’re not actually going to abandon them, are you? They think that you can safely bring them into Mexico. If you’re not planning on actually doing that then you should tell them so that they can come up with a plan.”

Strand tried to assuage Elyza’s fears and stop her rambling. “Everything is a negotiation.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” She was a tiny bit frustrated. At not having had the right information from the beginning and from having to take care of all those people. And she also had a high sense of empathy. It was both a blessing and a curse in the apocalypse.

Strand took a few steps closer to Elyza. “We can negotiate with your contact for more safe passage. Don’t you remember in Tijuana, 2 years ago? The driver of our last shipment had a heart attack at the wheel. All our merchandise for the Marco deal was lost. It went straight into the river, with the truck and the driver. It was a disaster. Marco and his gang were ready to slit our throats. Do you remember what we did?”

Elyza looked at the floor as she thought back.

“Yeah.” She met Strand’s eyes again. “We offered them a shit ton of Oxy to make up for the lost shipment.”

“But we didn’t have nearly as much Oxy as they wanted. They wanted three times more than what we had.”

Elyza nodded, remembering. “We cut the Oxy with milk powder to lower the dosage but to create more pills. It was kind of genius.”

“It was creative. That’s what business is. We just have to find what your contact wants and give it to him as long as he agrees to pay our price.”

“Which is safe passage for 7 more people.” Elyza’s forehead crinkled. “What if my guy doesn’t show up alone?”

“Then… we’ll have to hide everyone below deck and pretend it’s just the two of us.”

“What if they search the boat for infected?”

Strand walked over to a closet in the wheelhouse. He opened the door and pulled out a compartment.

Inside was an MP5 with a silencer and a shotgun.

“We have leverage. You brought ammunition like I told you to?”

Elyza approached the closet and lightly touched the shotgun with her fingertips.

“Okay, so, this is slightly more reassuring.” She dropped her hand. “I still don’t like the odds.”

Strand closed the compartment and the closet door.

“Just keep your poker face on. The Elyza Lex I know is more than capable of handling this.”

Elyza sighed. She scratched her forehead. “I need to ask you something else.”

“And what would that be?”

“Why did you only have me secure passage for us and not the others?”

Strand sat down on a stool next to the table and crossed his arms. “It’s simple. At that point in time, I hadn’t intended to take them with me.”

“What changed?”

“I guess I owe my life to Madison.”

“Oh, really? I see. What happened?” Elyza took a seat on a stool next to Strand.

“A small group of bandits tried to siege the ship. They didn’t realize we outnumbered them. We quickly took care of it. Except when one of them shot me.”

Elyza’s eyebrows rose. She gave him a once-over. You couldn’t tell that he had been injured recently.

“It just grazed my shoulder. But I fell off the ship and nearly drowned. Madison took the dinghy out and pulled me out of the water.” Strand ran a hand across his beard. “That’s why.”

“And her family? We’re taking them too?”

“Madison wouldn’t go anywhere without her kids. You can be certain of that. Her kids, however, I’m not so sure.”

“You think her kids would leave her behind?” That was… cold. Elyza thought so, at least.

“Maybe not the daughter but her son, yes.”

“You think Nick would leave his family?”

Strand tilted his head at her. “Either you haven’t been here long enough to notice or you aren’t watching closely enough.”

“To notice what?” she questioned.

“Out of all of them, Nick is the one who is least occupied with pleasing his family. It wouldn’t be the first time that he chose his own desires over his own flesh and blood.”

“You’re talking about his addiction.”

“Oh, so you’ve picked up on that, at least.”

Elyza shook her head. “Ofelia told me. She said that the Clarks have some issues.”

Strand chuckled humorlessly. “Oh, trust me. They _all_ have issues. Madison, in particular, likes to have a tight hold on her children but all it’s done is make them stray further away.”

“Ofelia told me that she doesn’t pay a lot of attention to Alicia. How is that a tight hold?”

“She expects things from her daughter without giving back equally. And she expects things from Alicia without giving her the opportunity to prove that she’s capable of more than just the small radius that Madison has let her move around in.”

“So, it’s about freedom?”

“It’s about recognition,” professed Strand. “But despite all of that I also know that Alicia wouldn’t leave her mother. But Nick would.”

“How could he survive out there by himself?”

“The boy has potential. In the world, before the apocalypse, he was someone who was an outcast. We shunned people like him. His addictions distracted him from the important things; work, finances, family, education.

“But in a world like this…” Strand spread out his arms to gesture to the general state of their existence. “People like Nick strive. Every time that kid used drugs, he could have died. That’s fearlessness. That’s focus. That’s necessary in this world. The only way to survive in a mad world is to embrace the madness. Nick has been doing that for far longer than any of us.”

“I don’t think Madison would let him go off on his own.” Elyza thought back to how tenderly Madison had embraced her son yesterday.

“You underestimate how tired she is. And for how long she’s been fighting.”

“Maybe. But we all fight battles. Didn’t someone say once that to be nobody but yourself in a world which does its best to diminish you is a lifelong battle? For everyone? Yet it’s important to never stop fighting.”

“Then you understand why Nick is an asset in this world. And you see why with the shift that the world has taken that some people need to give up the battles they’ve been fighting and assume new ones.”

Strand pushed off the stool and gestured for the exit to downstairs. Before they descended the stairs and emerged into the common room, Strand remarked, “And that someone who said that once was e.e. cummings.”

Elyza smirked. “Would you believe me if I said I knew that and was just testing you?”

“I would bet my top dollar that you read that in some floozy art magazine one time and you use it at parties to pick up girls.”

Elyza was offended at his accurate speculation. She wasn’t that easy to read, was she?

And so what if she copied things to impress pretty girls?

 _Pffft_.

Strand’s probably done it too at some point.

“I would save that top dollar if I were you. You’ll need it to get an angry momma bear and her cubs over the Mexican border.”

Strand chuckled. “Momma bear is too tame of a description for Madison Clark.”

“I believe you on that, Strand.”

=•==•==•===•====•

“Why does the knight move in an L shape?”

“I don’t know. It just does.”

“There has to be a reason.”

“Movement variation maybe? It would be boring if all the pieces moved the same, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess,” agreed Alicia. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she picked up a chess piece from the checkered board. “Remind me what this one does.”

“That’s a bishop. It moves diagonally.”

“Right. That doesn’t make sense either.” She put the piece down again.

The two of them sat outside at a table with two chairs. The chessboard was in front of them. The pieces were in their rightful starting positions. Elyza was explaining the rules to Alicia.

“There’s other rules that make the game more challenging. Like, for example, if you get a pawn to the other side of the board you can exchange it for a knight, bishop, queen or rook.”

“Does that mean you can play with two queens? Or three rooks?”

“Yes.”

Alicia folded her hands together and pressed them against her lips.

“Interesting.”

“You wanna play?”

“Sure. But you’ll probably crush me.”

The wind blew some hair into Elyza’s face and she brushed it back with her hand.

“To learn you have to try. And sometimes when you try you have to fail. It’s natural.”

“Maybe I’ll have beginner’s luck.”

“Maybe but that’s the thing. Only beginners need luck.” Elyza smirked.

“That’s not entirely true.” Alicia sat back in her chair. “Beginners can prevail over experts because they’re not pressuring themselves to do the correct thing because they don’t know what the correct thing is.”

Elyza’s eyebrows crinkled. “What do you mean?”

“Experts rely on experience. They rely on what they know is efficient, effective, and normal. Beginners have the courage to explore new avenues because no one ever told them not to cross those territories. Some beginners feel that their fear of failure disappears when no one expects them to uphold their reputation with results because they have little reputation to begin with. Do experts really have the willingness to try and fail or do they just have the tenacity to repeat what they know because it worked the last time they tried it?”

Elyza hadn’t been expecting that insight.

Alicia finished by saying, “I still think you’re going to beat me, though.”

“Let’s play and see.”

=•==•==•===•====•

They ended up not even finishing the game. The wind picked up and scattered the chess pieces across the deck. They stood and gathered up the runaway kings and queens. Not bothering to figure out where the pieces had been on the board to resume their game, they put the chess set away and meandered into the kitchen.

Chris was there already and eating Nutella straight from the jar with a spoon.

“Hey. Not cool, Chris,” complained Alicia. She took the Nutella jar from him and screwed the cap back on.

He gestured to it with his spoon. “I was just taking a bite!”

“The Nutella is for everyone to share equally. No one wants your gross saliva in it.”

“I didn’t double dip. That’s gross, dude,” defended Chris.

Alicia put the Nutella back in its place. “Dinner is in an hour. If you’re hungry, you can wait.”

“Man, I’m so tired of fish.” Chris threw the spoon into the sink.

 “I’ll tell Daniel to catch something more exciting for you,” said Alicia sarcastically.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that we have a food supply. I just…” Chris trailed off and shrugged.

Elyza finished for him, “You just miss ‘In-N-Out’ burgers and frozen yogurt.”

“I mean, yeah.” He looked back and forth between the two girls. “Don’t you?”

They did. Less than a month ago, Alicia could get on her bike and meet her friends at restaurants in town or run with them up and down the beach with ice creams. Popsicle juice trickled down her hand in the Californian sun. There were times when she would help her mom with the grocery shopping and then complained about how heavy the bags were. Yet, she would still insist on carrying them into the house in one go. Two trips were for the weak.

“Ugh,” Alicia groaned. “Let’s not talk about burgers or frozen yogurt right now. Makes me wish the stores on land weren’t completely empty or walker infested.”

Elyza sat down on one of the bar stools at the counter and Alicia leaned on the other side. Chris said something about helping Nick with inventory and he left the kitchen.

“He’s like the annoying little brother I never had,” said Alicia about Chris.

“Is it nice having siblings? I can’t relate,” replied Elyza.

Alicia scoffed and gave her a dubious look. “Is it _nice_? They’re a huge pain.”

“But you love them?”

Alicia sighed. “I love Nick. Even if he’s a lot of work. Not sure about Chris, though. We’re not actually related.”

“Looks like Travis’s family and your family got lumped together in a bad situation.”

“Pretty much. I don’t know much about their side of things. I kind of avoided them before all of this. But I know that Travis and Chris’s mom separated a few years ago and then he started dating my mom. Travis gets frustrated with him and he doesn’t know what to do. Chris always wants to do his own thing, no matter what his dad thinks is best.”

“Isn’t that called being a teenager?” asked Elyza.

“Maybe. Could also be resentment and spite. I don’t know. But Chris deserves better than a dead mom and a clueless dad.”

Elyza processed Alicia’s words. She was beginning to think that the parents on this ship needed to be better parents. Everyone was flawed. But this was just sad. 

Elyza squinted at the sunlight coming through the window. The warm orange glow reminded her of her own home.

“I miss my parents,” murmured Elyza.

She heard Alicia ask quietly, “Where are they?”

Elyza sighed. “I have no idea.”

Alicia gave her a look. It was a little like pity. But it was also something else. Something like understanding. Alicia could relate to feelings of absence in the ‘parent’ area. The absence was a little different from Elyza’s experience but close enough to understand.

“When did you see them last?”

“In Australia, where I’m from. It was before. I went to Mexico for a job and told them I would be back in Adelaide for the holidays at the end of the year. Don’t think that’s happening anymore.”

“Maybe one day you can go back and look for them.”

“Maybe.”

She doubted it, though.  

=•==•==•===•====•

DAY 19- AFTER DINNER

_Madison and Daniel pulled me aside today and confronted me in the wheelhouse. Madison asked me personally if I think that Mexico is the next step. She was asking because of her kids, of course. Usually, I would say ‘mother knows best’- she should go with what she thinks is right. But this is a crazy world we live in now. How does anyone know what’s up or down, left or right? Anyway, I advised her, ‘yes’ to Mexico._

_She also asked how high the payment is. I told her that Thomas gave me the money to pay my contact for two people. When my contact, Miguel, shows up alone like planned, we’ll hand over the money for Strand and me. And then we’ll negotiate a price for the others: Travis, Madison, Chris, Alicia etc._

_I told Madison and Daniel about Plan B too._

_If Miguel doesn’t show up alone, we hide everyone and cross our fingers. Madison and the others stay out of sight and Strand and I pretend we’re the only ones on the boat._

_I hate Plan B and Madison didn’t like it either. I told her it was her gamble and she would have to decide for herself if this plan was worth it. If not, Strand and I will let Madison and her family take the dinghy to shore._

_She said she would think about it._

_Daniel seemed less spooked. There’s something about him that tells me that he’s not new to bartering with dangerous people in dangerous circumstances._

_Daniel also threw accusations at me. He said that I was going to ditch him and his daughter at the border with no place to go. I told him that I wouldn’t do that._

_Even if some of the group don’t trust me, I’m safe because they all need me to cross the border, whether they like it or not. But if Strand doesn’t make it to Baja California I can expect to pack my bags for a long walk. The Abigails won’t let me stay if I fail at delivering Victor safely._

_That can’t happen._

_Where would I go?_

DAY 20

It’s a shame that apparently no one on this boat talked to Alicia often. She had interesting things to say.

“Do you think seagulls can feel things like happiness or compassion? Or are they just evil creatures that enjoy waking me up at 5 in the morning with their squawking?”

Elyza laughed at Alicia’s question. They leaned against the ship railing and watched the ocean.

“I think seagulls are vengeful fuckers who probably do feel happiness at shitting on my favorite pair of jeans right before an important meeting.”

“I’ll never forget when the lacrosse season ended and I was finally able to binge on a taco bowl with extra sour cream and guac, only for one of those beaky devils to swoop down and steal the whole thing.”

“They’re so reliant on humans for food. Like, God, get a life.”

Alicia laughed, holding onto the railing as she leaned back and looked at the sky.

“Freeloaders.” Alicia leaned forward again against the railing. “Seriously, though. It’s bad for animals to become reliant on human beings. When that source of food vanishes, what will they do to sustain themselves?”

“You mean like right now? Something tells me the Santa Monica boardwalk is closed for business. Indefinitely. Maybe the birds can feast on the bodies of the dead instead.”

“Ew. That’s gross.”

“You asked.”

Alicia made a face. “There’s still plenty of fish in the ocean for the seagulls to eat. I doubt that Daniel has caught them all,” she joked.

“I heard L.A. got bombed. Maybe there are no more animals in that area at all.”

“So, we’ve fucked over humanity. And now we’ve fucked over the ecosystem too.” Alicia shook her head. “It’s messed up.”

“Do you think things can go back to the way they were?”

“Do you?” Alicia questioned her back.

“I asked first.”

“I just think that hope is important. Once that’s gone we’re as good as dead. Travis thinks that things can go back to the way they were. If we rebuild. If we regroup. It will take time but he believes it.”

“That’s not just hopeful...” Elyza sighed. “That’s naïve. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Do you want it to?”

Elyza shrugged. “Of course. But I also don’t want to entertain ideas that are unattainable. I have better things to do with my time.”

“Someone has to believe that it’s fixable, though. If no one tries, it’s never going to happen.”

“Well, I wish that person good luck.”

Alicia looked at Elyza. They were more than a foot apart. Their bodies weren’t touching. Their shoulders weren’t brushing. But subconsciously, meaning neither noticed it or did it intentionally, their torsos were slightly tilted towards each other even as they peered forward at the ocean. Their feet also pointed inwards in the direction of the other person.

Did you know that when a person is telling lies, their feet will often point towards the exit?

It’s a reflection of where they wish to be. It communicates the desire to remove themselves from a situation which has high risk or is uncomfortable.

What does this body language say about attraction? Or a sense of security?

Can people magnetically attract?

A voice in Elyza’s head nagged at her. The pull in her chest slowly intensified. An irritation filled her lungs and she shook her head, recognizing the feeling.

She looked over at Alicia, who’s deep green eyes had returned to the ocean to peer at its expanse.

“Hey…”

Alicia’s gaze met Elyza’s.

“Do you mind if I smoke?”

Alicia scoffed lightly. “No. But I’m not the one you should be asking. That stuff will kill you.”

Elyza took out her lighter and a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket. She tucked a cigarette between her lips and cupped the flame of the lighter with her hand. She murmured between her teeth.

“We all have our vices.”

“Most vices don’t cause cancer.”  

Elyza took the cigarette between two fingers and exhaled the smoke.

“With the way the world is now, I doubt I’ll live long enough to die of cancer.”

“But should you manage to survive the next few decades, it would suck to die only because of your cigarette addiction. Imagine surviving all of this only to get sick.”

Elyza tapped the end of the cigarette with her finger and watched some ash fall off the tip and into the ocean.

Alicia coughed and fanned the air around her nose. “And most vices don’t smell like a bar chimney.”

Elyza chuckled, putting the cigarette between her lips again.

“Give me a break. You’re not perfect either. What’s your bar chimney?”

“My bar chimney?” Alicia played with her necklace with two fingers as she thought. “I don’t know…”

“Come on. There has to be something that makes you flawed.”

Alicia sighed. “I guess I… have always tried too hard to _not_ be flawed. I chase perfection like it’s a realistic goal.”

“Really? How Greek of you.”

“Greek?”

“The Romans and the Greeks chased perfection too.”

“How so?”

Elyza took another drag. The white smoke vanished with the wind as she exhaled.

“Take the Parthenon in Athens for example. It was built as a temple for the Goddess, Athena. The architects wanted the structure to be perfect. So, they built all the columns with the same measurements. From the circumference to the height, everything was the same. But when they looked at their building from a distance, they noticed that the sun caused an optical illusion. The columns on the four corners of the structure appeared thinner than the other columns despite them all having the same measurements. Because of that, the architects changed their design. The corner columns ended up being wider than the others to make the temple appear as if it had achieved perfection through exactness, even though the columns weren’t actually identical.

“Basically, perfection isn’t obtainable. Even when you get close there’s still something that limits us.”

Alicia nodded to herself, taking in Elyza’s words. She responded, “I don’t think I actually want to be perfect like those architects. Maybe I just feel like I have to be.”

“How come?”

“To compensate for my brother, maybe? To make life easier for my mom?”

“What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sounds like you’re living life to please others instead of yourself.”

“I don’t do a lot of things for myself.”

Alicia grew still in that moment. She stopped biting her lip. She stopped brushing the hair out of her face.

There was a lengthy pause.

Elyza almost started to fear their conversation had gotten too deep, too personal.

She was relieved when Alicia broke the silence again.

“I didn’t go to my boyfriend when he was sick and dying because I had to help my brother with an overdose.”

She took a breath.

“I was mad. I told Nick that I hated him. And maybe part of me did hate him in that moment. It was my last chance to see Matt but I couldn’t take it.

“Even when I have things that I care about or things I want to be doing, I can’t help but put my family first. If I don’t then who will?”

Elyza assumed Matt was the boyfriend. And her feelings were nothing but sympathy for this girl next to her.

“You’re compassionate. You made a hard choice but that doesn’t mean you didn’t accomplish something good. You helped your brother when he needed you.”

“I guess.” Alicia sighed. “I know Matt’s dead. And I know now that I wouldn’t have been able to save him. At that time, all of this stuff about the infected wasn’t clear and I didn’t know that Matt was infected. If I had gone to Matt something bad could’ve happened to me. And something bad could’ve happened to Nick because I decided to not be there for him.”

“Sounds like you made the right choice.”

“Then why is it so hard to live with?”

Elyza took one last drag from the cigarette before flicking it into the ocean.

“Because what you did wasn’t easy. Maybe it cost you a piece of yourself. That’s called sacrifice.”

Alicia appreciated that Elyza wasn’t trying to comfort her by saying, ‘it’s going to be alright’ or ‘Matt’s in a better place now’. Elyza wasn’t someone who tacked words with no meaning on like a cheap band-aid. A band-aid wouldn’t be enough.

“Maybe I didn’t give the whole piece away.” Alicia rolled up her jacket sleeve. She traced her tattoo with her finger. “Matt drew this for me. I used a needle and tattooed it after he…y’know.”

Elyza did know. She looked at the tattoo closely for the first time. “It’s a nice drawing.”

“He was an artist. I believed in him. I thought he could achieve whatever he wanted with his art.”

“As long as you remember him and have that tattoo, you’ll always have him with you. And the ways that he changed you count for something even if he’s gone.”

The loss of someone close to you was always hard. But the loss of Matt signified something deeper than grief or death for Alicia. Alicia lost Matt at the turn of society. Whenever she’ll think of Matt, she’ll not only be thinking of a past time but will also be thinking of a past version of herself. She didn’t just permanently tattoo his drawing to remember him. She did it to keep _one_ thing from before. It immortalized a destroyed world before its destruction. It was something to remind her who she was and where she came from. The tattoo was a heart after all. Home is where the heart is.

Alicia rolled her sleeve down again. “I wish it wasn’t all so unfair.”

“If only it could be unfair in our favor.”

Despite the solemn mood and despite the heavy topic, the smallest curve formed on Alicia’s lips.

“You took that from Calvin and Hobbes. I used to read those in my dad’s newspapers.”

“Did I take it from there?” asked Elyza somewhat playfully. “Watterson probably took it from someone else too.”

Alicia scoffed lightly. “That’s plagiarism.”

“As if you’ve never plagiarized or stolen something.”

“I haven’t, actually.”

“Oh, right. Your one imperfection is perfectionism. How could I forget?”

“Is perfectionism even useful in a world like this?” wondered Alicia out loud. “What is there to work towards? I used to think about my future and feel relief. Relieved that I was getting away from my mom and brother. Relieved that I could establish something for myself for once. But now all I feel is dread. I have to believe that there’s still good things left in the world for me to experience but I can’t imagine what they could be.”

“Do you think you could ever fall in love again? That’s a good thing to experience.”

Alicia wet her lips before answering, “Maybe. Do I want that, though? Now that the world is a chaotic mess, how can a relationship be sustainable?”

“Maybe love could be the one good thing within all the bad. Imagine waking up next to someone that you care about. Having that moment before you face the day where you just feel normal again. A reason to keep fighting.”

“I like that. A reason to keep fighting.” Alicia sighed deeply. “I’m not sure. Love was complicated enough before everything.”

“With the right person, it’s easier.”

=•==•==•===•====•

DAY 21- MORNING

_Strand just brought something worrying to my attention._

_Another boat has been steadily advancing on us._

_We don’t know who they are or what they want._

_Chances are they can see us too._

_The Abigail is going as fast as she can._

_But the other boat is bigger and faster._

_Hopefully, they’ll leave us alone._

_We’ve told Alicia to listen to the radio but not to talk to anyone._

_The last thing we need is more attention on us._

=•==•==•===•====•

DAY 21- NIGHT

_Dear Diary,_

_Hardest day on the ship yet._

Elyza and Alicia lay in their respective beds in their shared room. A very light breeze came in from the open porthole. It wafted the smell of detergent into Alicia’s nose from the leather jacket hanging on the door. The jacket had been collecting dust and grime over the past few days but it was finally time for a wash when the wind had blown the jacket off the ship railing, straight into the ocean. Elyza nearly jumped in the water after it and then threatened to throw Strand overboard when he didn’t want to stop the boat to retrieve it.

Alicia could guess why Elyza nearly flipped out when her jacket was lost. Clothing was a major part of identity. So were family, occupation, and a sense of home. What Alicia had gathered about Elyza so far was that she had no family. She worked for Thomas Abigail which _should_ have only been a temporary job. And she was currently somewhat of a nomad, her address being the Abigail, her neighbors being strangers.

The clothes on Elyza’s back were probably her most prized possessions. They made her feel like herself. They made her feel like not everything had changed.

Now, they were lying in bed, chatting with each other before going to sleep.

“It’s not practical in an apocalypse, Elyza,” argued Alicia.

“But it’s cool.”

“You care about looking cool in life or death scenarios?”

“I care about looking cool all the time.”

“A truck would make sense. Or a SUV. But a _motorcycle?_ That’s your choice of vehicle?” Alicia propped herself up on the elbow, head resting on her hand. “Think about it. You need a helmet. You need warm clothes. You need to be strong. Motorcycles are heavy, you know?”

“I know.” Elyza put one hand behind her head. She thought about how to justify this. “But motorcycles are fast. You only need to steer with one hand. You can shoot walkers with the other when you’re driving.”

“There’s only enough seats for 2 people. A pickup truck can carry at least 10.”

Elyza pouted. “Maybe I only want 1 passenger. Fewer people to worry about.”

Alicia gave up. She slumped back against her pillow and mattress. “Fine. Don’t listen to me. Endanger yourself more than you need to.”

“I _am_ strong, by the way.”

“I’m sure you are.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Mockery is not the product of a strong mind.”

“But you just were mo-“

“Shhh.”

“You-“

“Shhhhhh.”

Elyza grumbled.

When Alicia spoke again her voice was less playful but inquisitive.

“I’ve been thinking about something that we talked about a few days ago. Your home. Do you miss it?”

“Australia? Yeah, I think so. But I know that I only miss the idea of it that I have in my head. It can’t be the same anymore. My problems wouldn’t just disappear if I went back because my problems come from the state of the whole world.”

“The koala tattoo on your shoulder…”

“I got that in Mexico. After I left. Even though, at the time, I thought I would be able to go back to Australia at some point. I got the tattoo so that Australia would always be with me in some way. Now I’m really glad that I got it.”

Alicia smiled for Elyza.

“And the compass?”

“Same reason. Er, sort of. I got it to lead me home. Not literally. But having it makes me feel less lost. Like no matter what happens, I’ll always find my way.”

“That’s beautiful. You deserve good things in life, Elyza.”

“Thanks. So do you, Alicia.”

Alicia yawned and because Alicia was yawning, Elyza started yawning too. Contagious like laughter.

They wished each other goodnight.

“G’night, Alicia.”

“Goodnight, Elyza.”

They didn’t know it, and they might never know it, but it wasn’t the first time.

.

.

.

_(Reshop)_

 


	2. I Promise to Never Make Any Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ship that has been following the Abigail catches up.

DAY 22 OF THE APOCALYPSE- MORNING

_Munch munch munch…_

Elyza collected more cereal and milk with her spoon and took another bite.

_Munch munch munch…_

Her jaw moved up and down. She held the spoon in her left hand and read a magazine that she had found under a couch cushion with the other.

_"Dogs make our lives whole! Make theirs too, with this very relaxing and renewed fragrance. Refined musky woody elements and sparkling citrus! The best grooming experience your dog will ever have!"_

Elyza's eyes skimmed over the advertisement. Next to the text was a poodle wearing a pink bow with a little bell tied to it.

She murmured in between bites, "Strand needs to get better reading material."

Nick didn't look up from his own magazine, his head cradled lazily in his palm.

"I'm reading about waterfalls in Africa."

Elyza's spoon clinked against the bowl when she asked, "Where did you find National Geographic?"

"Bathroom," mumbled Nick.

Elyza grumbled, "At least yours is educational."

Elyza turned the page.

"Oh look. More dog grooming tips," she said with faux enthusiasm.

 

_Munch munch munch…_

_Munch munch munch…_

 

_Munch munch-_

_SLAM!_

Elyza and Nick both looked up surprised and startled by the door slam.

They watched Alicia stalk through the kitchen, down the short corridor, and into her room.

A quieter but still present slam followed.

Elyza and Nick shared a confused glance.

"Should I talk to her?" asked Nick.

"Don't ask me. She's your sister."

Nick sighed and closed the National Geographic.

"You know where I'll be."

He left in the direction of the other girl.

 

_Munch munch…_

_Munch munch…_

_Munch._

 

Elyza ate the last piece of cereal. Looking from side to side, scanning the kitchen, Elyza checked if the coast was clear.

Then she picked up the bowl with both hands and loudly slurped the remaining milk.

She put the bowl down and smacked her lips, feeling very satisfied.

Only seconds later, the sound of footsteps got closer and closer to the kitchen and Nick reemerged. He sat down in the same spot as before and picked up the magazine again.

"Well, that was fast," remarked Elyza.

"She didn't have much to say. She had an argument with mom. Could've guessed that anyway."

"Do you know about what?"

Nick shook his head and pursed his lips. "Dunno. The usual?"

"You didn't ask?"

"She told me that she was fine and that I could leave. So, I left."

At Elyza's confused expression, Nick added, "She can talk to me if she wants to. But she didn't want to, so…"

"Does this happen a lot?"

Nick shrugged. "I guess? She's not really a verbal processor. Neither am I. Let her play with her phone for awhile and she'll be okay again."

Alicia had slammed two doors. Two! That was two more doors than the average amount of doors a person slammed if they were really ‘fine' and ‘okay.'

Elyza declared, "I'm gonna go talk to her."

She stood and left the kitchen.

Nick mumbled, "Good luck," as he turned the page to an article about mudslides.

Elyza knocked on the door of her shared room with Alicia.

"Not now, Nick!"

"It's Elyza."

Elyza heard shuffling in the room and then footsteps. Seconds later, Alicia opened the door.

"Sorry."

Then she walked back to her bed, lying down on her stomach. She picked up her phone and continued playing 2048.

Elyza awkwardly entered the room and closed the door. She hadn't thought this through.

"Um… are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Nick says you had a disagreement with your mom." Elyza clasped her hands in front of herself to stop them from twitching and rubbing the back of her neck.

"It was minor," mumbled Alicia into her pillow, dismissing Elyza's concern. Her thumb moved back and forth across the screen, swiping tiles to and fro.

"If you're sure…" Elyza trailed off. She sat down on her own bed and occupied herself with her journal. She wrote,

_Dear Myself,_

_Good job. Good communication._

_…Idiot._

_Sincerely,_

_Me_

Elyza exhaled, dissatisfied with herself. She didn't want people to struggle alone. She thought she could get Alicia to talk but she didn't know her well enough to open up.

And Elyza also knew that these kinds of things couldn't be forced.

She fiddled with her pencil before finally settling on doodling a banana on the page.

"Fuck."

Elyza looked up to see Alicia toss her phone aside and curl into the bed, head on her pillow, arms wrapped together underneath.

The pencil tip over her journal wavered until Elyza's hand dropped completely.

She drew courage from within and asked, "What happened?"

"I lost. I was _this_ close to 2048."

Elyza replied, "You know that's not what I mean."

Alicia sighed.

"Do you ever just… feel invisible? Like, in order to be seen you have to be someone else?"

Elyza rattled her brain for an answer. This was not the time to not know what to say.

Thankfully, Alicia continued without needing a reply.

"Before we boarded the boat, my neighborhood was under military occupation to keep the walkers out. A lot of my neighbors had already fled so their houses were empty. I went into my neighbor's house and I put on their clothes. I put on their makeup. And then I smashed everything. All the plates. All the vases. I did it because it felt good. Because I was angry."

Elyza listened carefully.

"They had all these beautiful things. They had spent so much money. Only to leave it all behind when they ran away.

"I almost feel bad. If they were to ever go back, they would see that everything is shattered. Someone had gone in and messed up their home."

"You didn't shatter it," replied Elyza. She swallowed, realizing her own breathing had gone very still and focused. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I never do, do I?" asked Alicia. She sighed. "Ofelia needs painkillers. Travis said he would go to land to find some. I volunteered to go with him, since he asked, but my mom won't let me go."

"She wants you to be safe."

"I'm tired of ‘safe'. I've always been the ‘safe' one." Alicia settled further into her bed. "And this boat is fucking boring."

They both laughed at that very true statement.

"Although," Alicia continued. "It got less boring when you showed up."

Finally, for once, Alicia looked at Elyza from across the room.

Elyza stuttered for a second, "Oh. I... uh…"

She had been complimented.

The she smiled, "It almost sounds as if you like me."

Alicia sat up on the bed and crisscrossed her legs. "You're easy to talk to. I didn't get that a lot before you arrived."

Alicia looked down at her hands. "And you're nice. The apocalypse would actually be bearable if there were more people like you."

Elyza was aware that Alicia had completely distracted her from the issues that she has with her mom. But she also respected Alicia's need for space. She hoped there was potential for healing in the Clark family.

"Well, I know that I'm not perfect. And I can't necessarily see what you see." It was Elyza's turn to look away. "We can't stop people from changing. From turning into things worse that the dead who walk the streets. Even the good people left in the world…"

"I don't think that you'll lose the good in you," said Alicia. "It would be a bigger shame than the end of everything."

She said the last part very quietly and Elyza had strained to hear it.

Alicia was starting to believe in Elyza like she believed in hope. How could you not? Elyza's confidence willed Alicia to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Her blonde hair reminded her of the sun and how it rose every morning. And the sun could rise then surely Alicia could too.

Elyza was the kind of person you just knew would always be able to pull herself up by the bootstraps.

Maybe the apocalypse could be easier with someone like Elyza. Just a tad easier.

Loud knocking on the door startled both of them.

Elyza stood quickly and opened the door, revealing Strand.

He said, "We have a situation."

=•==•==•===•====•

In the wheelhouse, Elyza, Alicia, and Strand huddled around the ship's radar and radio. On the screen, they could see the green triangle that indicated their ship. Another green triangle was not far away.

A voice spoke to them from the radio, "I repeat, this is the U.S. Coastal Guard. Is anyone there? Over."

Strand spoke into the microphone. "This is Captain Victor Strand of the Abigail. How can I be of service?" Elyza noticed as he turned on the charisma. His deep voice could cast a spell over anyone.

"Mr. Strand, we're steadily approaching your hull. Do we have permission to board?"

Strand was about to raise the microphone again to reply but Elyza stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Hold on. Can we trust them?"

"Does it matter? They're going to come anyway. They're fast enough to catch up. And if it really is the Coast Guard, there's no choice for us," replied Strand. "In terms of enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard is easily the most… ‘privileged.'"

Elyza and Alicia gave him a quizzical look.

Strand elaborated, "The Coast Guard doesn't need my permission to board. They're asking out of courtesy."

He clicked button on the microphone and said, "You may come aboard. Let me ask, are you looking for anything important in particular? It seems a bit pointless to be doing inspections in a time like this. Is there really a need to be handing out citations to sailors for missing fire extinguishers and floatation devices when the undead are walking the streets as we speak?"

"I am not at liberty to say what our purpose is. However, I assure you that it is our top priority to guarantee the safety of American waters for all peacekeeping vessels."

Strand nodded along to the coast guard's response, having expected something similar.

"You can tell me if it's the undead you're looking for."

"Sir, I am not at liberty to say."

Strand rolled his eyes.

Alicia crossed her arms and said, "So, they're allowed to come aboard without a warrant and they're allowed to come aboard without saying why. That's BS."

Strand responded, "They don't need a reason, therefore, they don't need to give a reason. It's how it works on the water."

The radio buzzed again, "Captain, we will approach you on your starboard side with an inflatable that we will discharge from our ship. We need you to kill your engines and float on standby. Please prepare for boarding and lower any necessary fenders."

Strand sighed. "Roger that."

The radio went silent.

=•==•==•===•====•

"Oh damn," said Chris as he looked through a pair of binoculars.

Travis asked, "What do you see, Chris?"

Chris lowered the binoculars. "They have a mounted machine gun. They could wipe us out of the water if they wanted to."

The coast guard ship cruised closer and closer towards them.

Strand sat on the deck in a lounge chair with a glass of scotch in his hand. His legs were kicked up on the table. Next to his feet lay registration papers. He sipped casually from his drink.

Elyza tugged her leather jacket on and subtly slid a knife up the sleeve.

Ofelia bit her nails as she watched the Coast Guard boat.

Daniel tucked his handgun into his pants and pulled his shirt over it, concealing the weapon.

The Coast Guard reduced their speed and swayed in the water parallel to the Abigail. Much to some of their relief, the mounted machine gun was pointed in the opposite direction of their ship.

Three uniformed officers in an inflatable appeared from around the side of the Coast Guard boat. The propellers in the water sped them towards the Abigail. They steered their motorized inflatable to the swimming deck, stopping alongside the yacht. Madison was there already.

One of the officers killed the propellers and said, "Good morning. Thank you for letting us come aboard." Another officer threw a rope onto the swimming deck. Madison swept the rope up in her hands and tied the inflatable to the stair railing at the Abigail's hull.

She answered, "Mornin'." And she pointed to the bigger Coast Guard boat, "That's quite a ship you got there."

The officers stood and steadied their feet on the swaying floor of the raft. They each carried an assault rifle and made sure not to leave their firearms behind as they boarded the Abigail.

"Yes, ma'am. It sure is. I'm Officer Emry. This here next to me is Officer Reed and Officer Jack." The other two officers nodded.

Officer Emry took out a notepad and pen. "Officer Jack will stay here to watch the inflatable. Officer Reed and I need to speak with the captain of this vessel."

"He's up there." Madison turned to where she was indicating and started ascending the steps. The other officers followed closely behind.

 Strand was still lounging in his chair when the officers approached.

"Captain Strand?"

Strand looked up and nonchalantly lowered his sunglasses as if he hadn't expected them to be coming at all. Elyza also leaned against the ship railing as if this was the most normal thing in the world. Alicia awkwardly put her hands in her jean pockets and copied Elyza's stance. Elyza's eyes, covered by the dark lens of her glasses, revealed nothing.

Alicia whispered to her, "We have nothing to be worried about, right?"

Elyza murmured back, "Not sure. But it's best if we act natural. They might actually be here for no special reason. Let's not give them one."

Officer Emry was saying, "This is a normal safety inspection." He clicked his pen and scribbled on his notepad. "I have here a 4100 form. I will note any discrepancies or warnings and put it on file. Now, I'm going to need your certificate of numbers and your ID."

Strand gave him the papers and cards.

"Wonderful," hummed the officer. "Have you been examined by a coast guard before?"

Elyza and Alicia stood side by side. Nick walked over and joined them, standing next to his sister.

"Do you know that guy?" he asked.

Alicia turned to Nick. "What? Which guy?"

Nick nodded towards the swimming deck. Alicia and Elyza looked down past the flight of stairs. When Alicia made eye contact with Officer Jack, he quickly looked away and adjusted the rifle strap on his shoulder.

"Never seen him before."

"He was looking at you weird," said Nick.

Alicia countered, "Maybe he was looking at you weird." She poked his face, "With this face-"

He scoffed and swatted her hand away, "Shut up. He was. Trust me."

"Now, sir, are there any weapons on board?"

Strand made subtle eye contact with Daniel who shook his head slowly, out of sight from Officer Emry and Officer Reed.

Strand straightened in his chair. "Yes. In the wheelhouse."

Officer Emry nodded. "We'll look at those and your licenses while we do our inspection."

Officer Reed added, "With your assistance, of course, Captain Strand."

The two officers went through the usual protocol like they were going through a checklist. They checked the engine compartment and the carbon monoxide placards. They counted the number of lifejackets on board. They went through the Abigail's signaling equipment; from flags to flares and the horn.

Slowly, the tension released from Travis, Ofelia, Madison, Chris, and Nick. However, Daniel and Elyza were still on edge even if they appeared to be nonchalant. Alicia was on edge too, simply because she could feel unease from Elyza.

And because she had caught that officer looking at her another few times.

From inside, she heard Strand's footsteps as he led Officer Reed and Officer Emry around the ship. The last room was the wheelhouse. They walked down the corridor to the staircase that would lead them upstairs.

Elyza straightened from the railing. "One of the guns is mine. They'll need to see my license. I'll be right back."

That wasn't really why she needed to go up there. Since the officers boarded, she had had a feeling that twisted her stomach and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

Strand led the two officers up the staircase to the wheelhouse.

"What kind of weapons do you have here, sir?" asked Officer Emry.

Unbeknownst to Strand and Officer Emry, Officer Reed lingered at the door at the bottom of the stairs. When the other two were out of sight, he quickly turned and shut the door. He clamped the lock closed, bolting the door in place.

=•==•==•===•====•

Elyza's boots clicked against the floor of the Abigail. She picked up the pace and speed walked.

The ajar door suddenly closed and she bolted forward, grabbing urgently for the door handle.

She turned it and threw her body against the door.

"Urg!" She groaned when the door wouldn't give and angrily slapped the lacquered wood with her hand.

She looked back to where she came from.

_Officer Jack._

"Fuck."

She sprinted down the corridor again.

=•==•==•===•====•

Officer Reed nonchalantly climbed the stairs after the other two. They hadn't noticed what he had done.

"The guns are in this closet," said Strand. He moved toward it and opened the door.

His hands flew to cover his ears when a loud gunshot rang through the room. He quickly turned around.

Officer Emry lay sprawled out on the ground with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.

The same gun that shot him pointed right at Strand.

"Open the closet, unlock the compartment and then back away from the door," said Reed with a controlled and cold voice.

Strand did as he was told and then put his hands up. For once he kept his wise- guy mouth shut.

"Now give me the keys to the ship."

=•==•==•===•====•

Alicia crossed her arms, shielding her body from the breeze. Nick leaned on the railing with his frontside and watched the ocean below. He spit into the water.

"Gross, Nick."

"Complain, complain, complain," nagged Nick back.

Ofelia and Chris had decided to sit themselves down in the indoor seating area, playing Uno together.

Madison paced along the deck.

Travis sat on one of the yacht seats, hands folded under his chin. Basically, just waiting.

And Daniel stood on the far side of the deck, against the railing, near the hull. He watched Officer Jack. Daniel had been watching him this entire time.

Daniel wasn't the only one. For about the 10th time since they boarded, Alicia caught Officer Jack looking at her.

10 times was more than enough.

Fed up, she called out to him, "Hey Officer. Problem?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

Surprised, he opened his mouth to respond but then he hesitated. As if he didn't know what to say or if he should say anything at all. Before he could get a word out, Alicia was distracted by the sound of boots pounding on the wooden floor of the Abigail.

Elyza emerged slightly breathless from the inside of the yacht and stopped on the deck, looking around.

Daniel immediately straightened, sensing Elyza's urgency. Elyza caught Alicia's eye and like a magnet, Alicia moved towards her.

"Elyza. What's wr-"

_BANG!_

The gunshot was elsewhere, but nearby. It came from within the Abigail.

Elyza cursed under her breath. If only she had gotten to the door in time…

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound with wide eyes. Some had sprung up from their seats. Some remained seated, frozen in place.

Well, one person had known it was coming. Jack carefully ascended the stairs, assault rifle aimed.

"Nobody move."

Alica's head cautiously turned to Jack. Her eyes widened slightly and her mouth went very dry.

Because she recognized that voice.

Shivers went up her back along her spine.

Travis had immediately put his hands above his head. He pleaded, "Don't shoot. Okay? Just don't shoot."

Jack had the gun pointed at Travis but when Elyza took two steps forward to shield Alicia, Jack turned the gun on her.

Elyza quickly put her hands up. "Woah, hey now. Easy, mate. Easy. What's going on here?"

When Jack had pointed the gun at her, Elyza had heard a sharp intake of breath behind her from Alicia.

Jack didn't answer. The sound that broke the silence was the sound of the ship rumbling as the engines started.

Jack's eyes flicked to Madison and he turned the rifle on her.

Elyza felt slightly relieved that she wasn't the target anymore but with an assault rifle, Jack could mow all of them down in seconds, so the relief was fleeting.

Elyza's eyes darted to Daniel. He looked back at her.

It was 8 against 1.

If they were smart and fast about it, they could take him before Reed and Emry came back.

Daniel gave the smallest fraction of a nod, barely visible, but Elyza managed to see it.

He started to inch his hand to where his gun was.

And Elyza was hyper aware of the knife pressing against her skin in her jacket sleeve.

Just as she was about to slip it out, a loud mechanical whirring sound started coming from the Coast Guard ship.

They all looked over and to their complete dismay- minus Jack- the mounted machine gun was pointed at the Abigail now.

Chris gulped. "We're dead."

=•==•==•===•====•

Elyza's life had been pretty shit before the officers boarded the boat. Now her life was complete shit since everything she had planned just unraveled and she was being taken hostage.

 _Great_.

That's what she had thought until she saw Strand and Reed emerge out of the wheelhouse together. Reed had his gun to the back of Strand's head and was prodding him forward.

At least he wasn't dead.

If they made it through this alive and to Mexico then Elyza could still stay with the Abigails. And so could Madison, Daniel and Travis's families.

Then that gunshot must have been for Officer Emry. He must not have been part of the plan to hijack the ship.

Reed now carried two assault rifles, one each slung on one shoulder.

He had forced all of them down either onto the ground or onto a seat. He had been particularly rough with Ofelia and she cried out because of her gunshot injury.

So, basically, Reed was a massive turd.

Reed kept the gun pointed at them while Jack tied their hands together with zip ties. It dug into their skin uncomfortably, even drawing blood from some of their wrists. He also searched each person for weapons. Daniel's gun was found immediately.

Elyza glared at him as he patted her down.

Jack paused as his hand skirted over a lump on her sleeve. He removed the knife and Elyza cursed silently.

Jack tucked it in his back pocket and Reed clicked his tongue.

"That's a sharp knife for a pretty girl like you." He tapped her on the nose with his finger.

Elyza wanted to bite it off.

He gestured to her and asked Jack, "This one's not your girl, right?"

Jack shook his head as he finished off with Madison's ties.

The woman asked, "What are you going to do to us?"

Reed slowly sauntered over to her and explained, "We're going to take our pick of your crop. We're already sure about one or two of you." With a noticeable glance at Alicia and Elyza, Madison stiffened in her seat.

"We'll give you the whole boat. We'll give you everything; food, water, weapons. You name it. Just let us go to shore and you'll never see us again."

Silently, they all prayed that they would just be let go.

Reed crouched down to Madison's eye level.

"Now, I hate to separate a mother and daughter-"

"How does he know that?" asked Chris to the group.

"Shut up, Chris," spat Reed.

Elyza's brain whirled. Her thoughts spun around and around. How did Jack and Reed know who they were?

_Do you know that guy?_

_What? Which guy?_

_He was looking at you weird._

Elyza's gaze found Alicia sitting next to her brother on the yacht seats. Elyza could read it on her face. Fear and a dash of guilt.

In that moment, Jack maneuvered across the deck and stood in front of Alicia.

"I need you to take me to the radio."

"I'm not doing shit for you."

‘ _Atta girl_ ,' thought Elyza. 

Jack replied in a softer voice, "Please. Don't make this more dangerous." There was something in his eyes that was genuine. Maybe he was just a warm guy caught up with the wrong people, doing the wrong things. But then again, was anything _right_ these days?

"What do you need it for?" asked Alicia.

Jack was about to answer but was cut off by Reed.

"To talk to our ship, of course. They need to know how many we're bringing back, if we need reinforcements, yadda yadda." Reed picked up the glass of scotch that Strand had left on the table. He drank from it, scotch dribbling unattractively onto his chin. He wiped it with the back of his hand.

"Or maybe, perhaps, if we need to make a pit stop at the shore to let some of your family off." He smiled but his finger was still on the trigger of his gun.

Alicia wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what he was doing and that he no intentions of helping her family. But what other choice did she have?

"This way."

She stood and led Jack to her room where the radio was. He shut the door behind him and moved to take her hands.

She flinched and jerked away.

"Don't touch me."

"I can remove this."

Alicia looked at her tied hands and sighed before nodding.

The zip tie fell to the floor.

"So, this is where you talked to m-"

"Jack," she cut him off. She hissed, "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm sorry. But if you come with me, I promise you'll be safe."

"Why are you here?"

Jack awkwardly shifted his feet. "You stopped answering the radio. I got worried something happened to you."

"So, you followed me?" She looked at him incredulously.

" _No_. It was Connor's idea to come here. He wants to take the ship."

"Who the fuck is Connor?"

"He's… Reed's brother. He kind of runs things."

"Are you even a Coast Guard?"

"Not exactly."

"And the other guy? Emry?"

Jack nodded his head. "He was actually an officer. We made a deal with him. He thought we were going to work for him in exchange for safety on the water since the land is infested. What we really wanted was to take his ship."

"And kill him," said Alicia with disgust.

"It's not…" Jack desperately hung his head. "It's not like that."

‘ _It_ is _like that,_ ' thought Alicia. Instead of saying it, she softened her voice and uncrossed her arms.

"Well… you don't feel good about it… right?"

He looked up and met her eyes. "I don't. You have to believe me that this isn't what I want."

"You could do something," said Alicia. "If I do go with you- My family…" she trailed off.

Jack picked up quickly. "I'll talk to Connor. I'll try to get them safe."

Alicia gratefully nodded her head. "Thank you, Jack."

Then she opened her arms and they embraced. Jack hugged her back somewhat eagerly. She could sense a loneliness in him that unsettled her, but made it apparent why he had catfished her and wanted to take her with him.

She didn't actually care for that. Slowly, she moved her hand down and slipped the tips of her fingers into his back pocket. With a featherlight touch, she took Elyza's knife back and put it up her own sleeve.

After Alicia showed Jack how to use the radio, she slipped the knife into her boot as he played with the buttons to get the right frequency. Eventually, he got hold of Connor on the Coast Guard ship.

"That sounds good. We'll separate them and take the yacht to our base. We'll sort out what to do with the others on the yacht when we’re there."

Jack responded that he understood and turned the radio off.

"Ready to leave?"

=•==•==•===•====•

Madison watched her daughter stand up and lead Jack to her room where the radio was. The door shut after they entered.

Madison's gaze returned to Reed. She didn't know whether to pester him, to offer him another deal or to beg for their lives.

In the corner of her eye she saw Daniel shift in his seat.

That's when she knew what she needed to do.

Distract Reed and buy them some time to get free.

"You say your name is Reed?"

"That's right." The sun reflected off his hair and lightened the color of his eyes. If it weren't for all the sweat, grime, and bad attitude, Reed would actually be a good-looking man.

 "You from around here?"

"No." Reed chewed a piece of gum in his mouth. "Not from around here."

Madison nodded.

She needed to get him going about something.

"Your brother, Connor. Does it bother you that you got stuck with herding the sheep while he's over there, safe and sound on your big ship?"

"We all do what we gotta do." Reed shrugged, swaying the gun at his hip back and forth between the hostages.

"What if something happened to you out here? Would he come after you?"

Reed's lower lip twitched as if Madison hit a nerve. "Wouldn't matter much. We're all infected. We’re all screwed no matter who we go after or who comes after us."

"You saying you don't care about your life?"

Reed pursed his lips and sniffed. "I'm saying at the end it's all the same. Not in a rush to get there, though. That’s why you’re all tied up and I’m the one with the gun."

Madison's eyes flicked over to Daniel for a second.

_Little longer._

"So, this is what you do with your life now? Pirate the seas, posing as the Coast Guard?"

"S'working fine so far-"

Strand chuckled, "At least you've got ambition. What purpose, though? Are you living to die or dying to live?"

Annoyed, Reed spit his gum out onto the yacht floor. Strand grimaced at the sticky green substance on the polished wood.

Madison responded, "We hit a nerve? Sorry, I'm not really familiar with possible conversation topics between captors and hostages."

Nick couldn't help but smirk at his mom's sassy courage.

Strand spoke up again, "Reed, I think it's safe to say we're all having our own existential crises at the moment.” If he could’ve gestured to the bondage on his own hands, he would’ve. “At least, you're not alone in that regard."

"Actually, man, I think I've never felt better." Reed frowned and approached Strand. "You have no idea how happy the end of the world has made me." Strand looked up at him, eyebrows raised and expectant.

"I do," said Elyza, veering Reed’s attention away from Strand and onto herself. "Fuck the old world, right? Too many bullshit systems to keep count. Systems that try to keep people out," she said. "Regulations that make everyone the same. Consumers who don't know how to create. At least, the apocalypse has forced everyone to do new things and think in new ways. It's opened the door to-"

"New potential," finished Reed for her. He looked Elyza up and down and she felt his gaze on her like a second skin.

She wanted to throw up.

Instead, she said, "The end of one world. The beginning of another." _A crueler one._ "A stronger one."

=•==•==•===•====•

When Alicia and Jack returned to the others, her hands were retied and Jack told Reed about what he had discussed with Connor.

"Man, you two were in there for a long time," snarked Reed.

Jack rolled his eyes and Alicia grimaced.

Something about what Reed had implied about Jack and Alicia made Elyza's stomach roll and her fists clench behind her back.

"What about the rich guy? We could use his money and assets," whispered Jack to Reed.

"Leave him. He'd be more trouble than he's worth. And don't forget to take the guns in the wheelhouse with you."

"Yeah, I got it."

The sound of a motor got closer and closer to the Abigail.

Reed smirked at Elyza and Alicia. "That's your ride." Reed took Alicia by the arm and started to tug her across the deck. Despite all the guns and all the danger, Madison stood and said,

"Wait."

Jack put a hand on Reed's shoulder. "Let her say goodbye."

Reed let go of Alicia and pushed her forward. "Make it fast."

Alicia and her mom stood face to face, amidst a situation where they confronted hostility, captivity and soon-to-be separation. And the first words from Alicia were,

"I caused this. I will fix it. I promise I'll find a way."

It caused Elyza's heart to sink a little bit. They had talked about Alicia's need to not make mistakes. It all tied back to her family. Elyza really wanted Alicia to be able to internalize that her mom will love her no matter what because that's how parents were. Elyza didn't want Alicia's first thoughts to be how she's fucked up or how she's caused problems for herself or for others. Alicia had an incredible will, especially when it came to helping people. If only she could apply that compassion to herself.

"I'll find you. No matter where you are or where you go," replied Madison. "I promised your father and Nick that I would protect you."

That caused Alicia to turn her head to look at her brother.

"Told you he was looking at you weird."

Alicia scoffed lightly. The _audacity_ of her brother...

She was going to miss it.

It was like there was something missing without a family group hug but their hands were tied.

With that, Jack pulled Alicia down the stairs and to the waiting inflatable.

When Elyza looked back at Madison an understanding passed between them. Elyza couldn't say it with words but she tried to say it with her eyes.

_I've got her. I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question for you: Do you prefer shorter chapters (like this one) but updated faster, or longer chapters updated slower?  
> Short would be like 4,000-6,000 words. Long would be 7,000 to 9,000.  
> I hope it's alright with all of you that I changed Reed and Jack's backstory a little bit.  
> And it's true, the U.S. Coast Guard can board your boat and search it whenever they want, no buts or objections.  
> Your opinions always help me make the story so they're very welcome.


	3. If I Hide Will You Seek?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alicia and Elyza are trapped on a ship. (I feel like there's a pun in there somewhere.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a longish break to reflect on my writing and fanfiction and what I don't like about them. But I do like this story and my ideas for it so let's see what happens.

DAY 22 OF THE APOCALYPSE- EARLY AFTERNOON

Elyza and Alicia were pushed down the hallways of the Coast Guard ship. Their hands were tied in front of them. Jack was leading them at the front with an armed guard behind them. He wasn’t wearing a uniform.

Elyza’s eyes darted from left to right, taking in as much as she could. She tried to keep track of where they turned, which hallways they passed. She looked into every open door.

She peered into a large room with a jeep and red containers as they passed it. Her steps slowed to get a good look. She just wanted to see if there was an opening somewhere to move large things like a jeep in and out. It was obviously some sort of cargo room after all-

“Ouch!”

Elyza staggered forward and her back prickled with pain. That was going to bruise.

“Keep moving,” demanded the guy behind her who had hit her with the butt of his rifle.

Elyza huffed and reluctantly picked up her pace.

She also sniffed and crinkled her eyebrows. The air smelled extremely strong of rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, both disinfectant liquids. The smell was very pungent, and it tickled the inside of her nose.

The room they were eventually led into was down two separate flights of stairs. The map in Elyza’s head of the place was growing and growing. She worried she would start to lose track.

It was small, with a bunk bed, a rickety table and chair. There was door to a bathroom. Jack told them to sit down on the bed. He positioned the chair in front of them and took a seat himself. The guard didn’t enter, and he closed the door leaving just the three of them.

The room had no windows. They were underwater, surely. There was no way to see the yacht that they had left behind.

With this occupying her thoughts, Alicia wet her lips and asked, “So, what now?” Her voice was dry and peeved.

“Connor is busy with the yacht, but he wants to talk to you when he has a moment to spare.”

“So, we’re just waiting for him?” asked Elyza.

Alicia quickly followed up with, “When are you going to talk to him about my family? _You_ promised me that nothing would happen to them.”

Elyza closed her eyes. She didn’t want to be the one to tell Alicia that the odds were not in the Clarks’ favor. So, she didn’t say anything. Deep down, Alicia probably knew that anyway.

Jack started, “I’ll talk to him, okay? But all I know for sure is what you’ll be doing on our boat from now on. You’ll have food and beds to sleep on. You’ll get jobs to do so that you can stay. Alicia, you’re good with medicine. We can get you to work as a medic. And Elyza, you…” he trailed off, unsure. “What can you do?”

“Fight,” answered Elyza.

“Got plenty of gunmen. Anything else?”

Elyza’s eyes flickered warily to Alicia.

“I know how to make drugs.”

That piqued Jack’s interest. One of his eyebrows rose impressed.

Alicia was surprised but at the moment she didn’t care to ask Elyza any follow up questions. She wasn’t planning on staying on the boat. She needed to get Jack out of the room.

“Can you go talk to Connor for me now? _Please?_ ” Alicia tried to wear Jack down with her begging, pouring emotion into her eyes. “I won’t be able to think about anything else until I know they’re safe.”

“I’m not supposed to leave you two. He’ll come soon, he just needs to-“

“You can trust us. We won’t go anywhere.” Alicia looked to Elyza for confirmation and the blonde nodded hastily in agreement. “You can even keep our hands tied.”

But Jack shook his head. “I’m not going to interrupt Connor, he’ll only get mad at me. Which won’t help you at all.”

Defeated, Alicia hung her head. She sniffed. She thought about never seeing her brother again. She imagined that tense moment on the yacht being the last memory of her mother forever. She channeled all the anger, self-disappointment and sadness that she was feeling into one persuasive performance.

She looked up at Jack again. “You know what I told my mom before we left the yacht? That this, _all of this_ , was my fault. And I was sorry, and I was going to fix it. That’s all I’ve ever done y’know. Fix everyone’s shit for them.” The curse word was laced with spite. Each syllable was tainted with pain. “I never fucked up. Not once. I knew I couldn’t afford to. But I finally made a mistake. And of course-“ Alicia scoffed. Finally, a tear prickled her eye. “ _Of course,_ I finally make a mistake when it could get them killed. It couldn’t have been getting lost on my first day of college. It couldn’t have been drunk driving or plagiarizing or getting arrested! It had to be at the end of the world. And it had to be me, that ultimately failed them.” She shook her head and exhaled. “I guess I ran out of saves.” Alicia let out a small sob and closed her eyes. Tears ran down her face and her nose got runny. She audibly sniffled and cleared her throat.

Jack almost looked guilty. In an effort of appeasement, he stood. “I’ll uh… get you a tissue.” He turned his back to them to enter the bathroom.

In the blink of an eye, Alicia’s hands were in her boot. Her hands shook with sudden adrenaline. It shot through her body at the prospect of escape.

She triumphantly took hold of the switchblade and clicked the button. The blade sprung out.

Elyza’s eyes widened as Alicia cut through the zip tie around Elyza’s hands.

“Alicia, I think I might love you,” said Elyza quietly.

“Shh, he’s coming back.”

Quickly Elyza put her hands _behind_ her back and kicked the cut zip tie under the bed. Alicia put the knife under her butt and sat on it.

“Here, Alicia.” Jack reached out and put the toilet paper wads into her hands.

“Thank you.”

He sat back down. Alicia dabbed her moist face. Her skin glistened with the remnants of her emotional breakdown.

Even if it was all acting and just for show, it had been incredibly convincing and sad to watch.

And most importantly, Jack didn’t realize what they had done.

Elyza weighed her options.

Jack had a handgun. He also probably wasn’t going to get up again. And Elyza didn’t trust that her acting skills were as good as Alicia’s to induce crying.

Her eyes were trained on Jack.

He was comforting the other girl, “The end of the world is hard for all of us. I know it sucks. I feel for you, Alicia-“

Elyza lunged forward with astonishing speed covering the distance between the bed and Jack in no time. She cut him off by locking her hands around his throat. And she _squeezed_.

She squeezed as hard as she could.

He emitted choked and strangled sounds from the back of his throat. The shock from her attack had frozen him momentarily. But as he realized what was happening, he clawed and grabbed at her hands. He kicked his legs against her shins.

Elyza hissed as pain erupted from her leg. It wasn’t that bad. She could get through it.

She probably wouldn’t be able to survive Jack shooting her though.

One of his hands dropped to the gun tucked into his waistband to do exactly that.

Alicia quickly sprang to her feet.

Jack brought the gun out. His face was beet red. He couldn’t breathe. Black spots peppered his vision. It was now or never.

“No!”

Alicia kicked the gun out of his hand. It clattered onto the floor.

“Gah…gchh… _urrh.”_ The energy drained from his body. The force of his hands on Elyza’s, trying to pry her off reduced.

“Shhh. Let go. Just let go,” hushed Elyza to him. She lulled his mind into submission.

Jack’s eyes started to flutter shut. His hands fell into his lap.

Elyza released her hold on his throat. Her fingers left behind deep red marks which will surely bruise. His head rolled forward, totally and utterly unconscious.

“Is he…”

“No.”

Elyza breathed in and out heavily. They were on their own now. And they had to get out of this mess.

Alicia wasn’t sure why she was relieved. Was it because she didn’t think Jack deserved to die? Or was it because she was glad that their hands were bloodshed free?

_For now._

Elyza cut Alicia’s ties with the knife. “Keep this,” Elyza told her. “Use it to protect yourself.”

Alicia took the stiletto knife and gently cradled it in her palm. She treated it with care, her new lifeline.

Together with free hands, they heaved Jack’s body from the chair onto the bed.

Elyza picked up the gun that had ended up on the floor. She counted the bullets.

She had to make them count.

“We stay together at all times, okay?”

Alicia nodded.

“Good. Let’s bust out of here.”

=•==•==•===•====•

The yacht and the coast guard ship stayed on course, moving through the water next to each other.

Alicia wondered but couldn’t know what was happening on the yacht.

She didn’t know that shit was going down.

“I can fix it. I just need to go to the engine room.” Travis pleaded with Reed.

With the nuzzle of a gun to his back, Reed ushered Travis into the engine room. His tool box was there from the day before.

Travis inspected the clogged pipe. “There’s something stuck in there…”

“Well, get it out. What good is a million dollar yacht if I can’t take a shit?”

Reed meandered around the room, looking at different valves and meters.

“None of this shit makes any sen- _Ahhhh!_ ” Reed let out a guttural scream. Travis had stabbed him with a xacto knife from his toolkit. It stuck out of the back of his leg. Reed’s knees collided with the hard floor.

Travis grabbed Reed’s head and shoved him hard into a pipe. The metal made contact with his temple. He was out instantly. His pant leg around the protruding knife blossomed red.

“Reed?!” One of the men that had arrived to keep the hostages under control called out. Travis quickly picked up Reed’s gun and ran out the door.

Someone was coming at him and he didn’t think twice before pulling the trigger.

Daniel had worked through his binds and was free. He used the distraction that Travis was creating to hurl a lamp at one of the guys that were about to shoot Travis. It shattered as it hit him, but it wasn’t enough. Daniel tackled him to the ground. They wrestled for possession of the sidearm.

A shotgun went off and wood splintered around them. Nick, Strand, Ofelia, and Chris frantically ducked for cover, their hands still bound.

The shooter was a pregnant woman and she cursed as Travis shot down another of her companions.

Madison rose to her feet. Every fiber of her being hated what she was about to do. But that shotgun could kill Travis with one shell. This was about survival.

Ugly, brutal survival.

She ran up to the woman and with her weight on her back leg, Madison kicked the woman right in her pregnant belly.

The woman let out an anguished cry and fell onto the floor. She lay there, breathing uncontrollably. She rubbed her belly, teardrops at the cusp of falling from her eyelids.

 

A final gunshot rang out throughout the room. Daniel stood over the dead man, triumphantly holding the pistol.

Everyone’s ties were cut. The dead bodies and the pregnant woman were stripped of their weapons.

Madison rested the woman’s shotgun on her shoulder, fingers wound tight around the grip.

The woman sneered at her, “Go to hell, bitch.”

“I’ll see you there,” replied Madison.

The pregnant woman wound up sitting on the couch with her hands behind her back, tied with rope. The younger members of the group kept an eye on her while the others took care of Reed.

They dragged his limp body into one of the bedrooms and strapped him to a chair.  The xacto knife was still protruding from his leg. A painful-looking bruise was welting on his forehead.

Madison said, “Get the radio. Let’s tell Connor we have a new bargaining chip.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Elyza slowly opened the door and peeked her head out. She looked left and right.

The hallway was clear.

“Let’s go.”

The two girls cautiously exited the small cabin room and closed the door behind them. Weapons out, they stalked down the hallway.

The ship was totally quiet which was both comforting and unsettling. They were alone for now and could hear any obstacles. But, that meant they could also be heard by anyone listening closely enough.

They neared the first stairwell of two that they had to climb.

After that, they would have to improvise.

=•==•==•===•====•

Connor furiously threw the radio microphone onto the table. It clattered and bounced away.

Pacing back and forth, he rubbed his forehead.

“Someone get me those two girls. NOW!”

His henchmen scurried away and the door to the wheelhouse slammed shut with their departure.

=•==•==•===•====•

Elyza and Alicia climbed the last step of the second staircase. They pressed their backs against the wall.

They could hear voices now that bounced off the walls of the ship. The echoes made it hard to determine where the voices were coming from.

“Now what?” whispered Alicia.

“I have two ideas,” whispered Elyza back. “Either we jump out the open door of the cargo room. Which I don’t know if it’s actually open but at least we know where it is because we saw it earlier. Or we go to the upper deck and jump off the top of the ship...”

“But we don’t know how to get there,” Alicia finished for her. “Where do you think the voices are coming from?”

Elyza shook her head unsure and uncertain. “There could definitely be people in the cargo room. But there’s also plenty of cover. Do we risk not knowing where we’re going and running into people in the hallways to get to the top?”

Alicia wrinkled her brow. As they were looking at each other, they suddenly heard whistling.

Elyza jolted looking left and right. But Alicia turned and peered down the stairwell. She saw a shadow moving towards the bottom step.

“Shit, he’s down there. C’mon,” hissed Alicia. She pulled Elyza by her shirt and they bounded down the hallway, away from the stairs.

Their quick pace was halted when a door in front of them opened. Under the door, two boot-clad feet emerged from the room.

Elyza ripped open the closest door and they threw themselves in.

Inside, she held the door knob firmly and listened. Alicia was pressed onto the wall, tightly holding Elyza’s arm.

They didn’t hear anything except the sound of their breathing.

Elyza counted each second. After 300, her hands on the door knob dropped and she took a step back.

“I think we’re fine.”

Alicia nodded warily, her hands falling to her sides as well, not realizing she had been gripping onto the girl for security.

Since entering the room, they took a look around for the first time.

“What the-?”

Elyza’s breath hitched as she realized they had entered a room full of body bags. Some were on the floor and some were piled on metal tables. A light above them flickered ominously.

She reached her hand out towards the bag on a table nearby.

“Don’t-“ Alicia caught her hand.

“I have to see,” replied Elyza.

Alicia let go and Elyza unzipped the black bag.

“ _God_.”

Elyza grimaced as she saw the corpse with one bullet hole in its head. The blood from the wound had already dried.

She zipped the bag down further. The body wore a white coastal guard uniform, caked in blood.

Alicia summarized, “They killed him like they killed Officer Emry.”

Elyza gestured around them. “All these bags- they’re the original crew of the ship. When Connor and his people were given safety, they just killed everyone else on board, taking the ship for themselves.”

 _That’s_ why the ship smelled so much like hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol. It must have been a bloodbath, with blood, brain matter and bone plastering the floors and walls. The cleanup was definitely extensive.

Alicia’s hands shook. “Unless we get out of here and find some way back to the Abigail, there’s no way my family is getting off that boat alive. Is there?”

Elyza looked at her. The deep worry in Alicia’s eyes really pained her. No one wanted to be alone, especially not in the apocalypse. The Clarks were dysfunctional, sure, but the comfort and familiarity of a family made life more bearable, even with fewer and fewer reasons to keep living. They had to get back and fast.

Elyza and Alicia’s heads snapped to the door as it suddenly opened.

“Let’s get these bodies overboard-“

A man and a woman appeared in the door way. The man saw Elyza and Alicia first.

He raised his gun and yelled, “Hey-“

Two gunshots rang out in rapid succession.

His body and the woman’s collapsed onto the floor with perfect circles on their foreheads.

Alicia stared at Elyza with wide-eyed disbelief.

Still looking down the gun’s sights, Elyza let out a breath she had been holding. She lowered the gun.

Not the first people she had killed. Not the last either.

It surprised Alicia.

“Elyza-“

“We don’t have time to talk. Those gunshots are going to raise questions.”

“Where are we going?”

“Cargo room.”

=•==•==•===•====•

Jack was being pulled by two men by the armpits. One of them thrust open the door to the wheelhouse. They dragged Jack in and plopped him down onto the ground. He was just coming to.

Connor walked over to him and snapped his fingers in front of his face.

“Hellooo? Wakey wakey.” He clapped his hands. “Rise and shine, dumbass.”

Jack groaned, his head shaking from left to right. “What?”

Connor squatted down and clasped his hands.

“Do you have any idea how much shit you’re in, son?”

Jack looked around, blinking his eyes.

“Where’s… where’s Alicia?”

Connor chuckled humorlessly to himself. “That’s the million-dollar question. Where is Alicia?” He stood again, walking around Jack. “Only an hour ago, she was with you and that other girl. Only an hour ago, all the passengers of that yacht were tied up and being held at gunpoint. Only an hour ago, every plan I had was going smoothly. All I asked was for people to do their jobs.” Connor stopped walking around Jack and looked down at him. “Only an hour ago, my brother wasn’t half dead and your friends weren’t running freely on our ship, probably _escaping_.”

It slowly started to come back to Jack. Alicia’s crying, him getting up to get her some tissues. The blonde girl’s hands around his throat, constricting him, making it impossible to breathe.

Connor swooped down and grabbed Jack by his jacket. “Find the girls, Jack. Or I’ll feed you to the fishes.”

Jack nodded. The blue swells on his throat throbbed.

=•==•==•===•====•

Alicia’s heart hammered in her chest as they snuck into the cargo room. They crouched behind a set of boxes and listened.

“Connor has told everyone to find the two girls. I’ve looked downstairs already. Where do you think they are?”

“The ship’s not that big. They’ll be somewhere.”

Elyza’s ears twitched.

A new voice came running into the room. “Hey! There’s- someone killed Frank and Rachel!”

“What?! Where?”

“Down the hall! Right there!”

Elyza and Alicia exchanged alert glances.

“Shit, they’re on this floor,” said one of the guys. “Search the room. You and you, go check the other rooms.”

The men scattered. A few stayed behind.

The cargo door to the outside was closed and the whole ship was looking for them. The two options that they had just became zero.

_Unless…_

Thinking back to earlier in the day, Elyza recalled seeing red containers in this room. She assumed they were gas canisters for the jeep.

Only one way to know for sure.

Elyza looked at Alicia and put a finger to her lips. Alicia nodded.

She whispered, “Stay here.”

Elyza peeked around the boxes. There was a guy in front of her, but his back was to her. She could see the red containers between him and her. She just needed to be fast and quiet.

She started to creep forward. She used barrels on her left for cover. Brushing the cold metal tingled her hand as she slinked closer to the canisters.

She stopped as the guy started to turn.

Elyza shot diagonally to her right and slid, just making it under the jeep.

Back against the cold floor, eyes up at the underbelly of the car, she took a deep breath in.

With her heels, Elyza scooted forward. Inching to the side just enough to see, she saw that the guy was walking forward, looking left and right. He got closer and closer to her position. So close, that, she could reach out and untie one of his shoelaces.

She needed him to go away from the containers. Maybe she could try-

A light bang sounded from the other side of the room. It wasn’t very loud, but it did catch the man’s attention.

“You hear that?”

“It came from over there.”

Elyza breathed out a sigh of relief as the man started walking away. He walked around the jeep, his friends accompanying him to the other side of the cargo room.

Elyza rolled out from under the car. Before grabbing two containers, she unscrewed one and sniffed.

Gasoline.

With both in hand, she tiptoed back to the boxes where Alicia was waiting.

Or so she thought.

Elyza cursed as she looked around.

 _Where_ -

Out of nowhere, Alicia slid back into position next to Elyza.

Elyza hissed, “Where did you go? I told you to stay.”

Alicia nodded to the men who were poking bags with their guns, expecting two girls to jump out at them.

Elyza nodded appreciatively, “Good job. Thanks.”

She unscrewed the cap of the gasoline container again.

“Are you fond of fire, Alicia?” They smirked at each other.

=•==•==•===•====•

“Oh _shit!_ Fire!! Fire!!!”

“Put it out!”

In the cargo room, Connor’s people were running around frantically. One started waving a cloth at the flames. The fire lapped at wooden boxes and crates, sizzling everything flammable. The flames were carving out a path ending at none other than the Jeep.

Someone urgently kicked the remaining gasoline canisters out of the way.

“Get the hose!! You, get the hose! Hey, stop fanning, that isn’t doing shit!”

Elyza and Alicia smiled at each other satisfied with their handiwork and the chaos that had erupted.

Elyza twirled her lighter in the air before pocketing it again.

“Shall we?”

With their distraction working magnificently, they snuck out of the cargo room in search of stairs leading to the upper deck.

They tucked their weapons away. Shouts about the fire reverberated through the halls. The fire needed to be put out fast. An exploding car would definitely be bad news for Connor and his people.

Alicia and Elyza panicked when one person appeared suddenly at the end of the hall. Only, he paid them no mind, running past them towards the cargo room without a second glance.

The emergency was distracting everyone.

Suddenly, the whole ship shuddered.

“You don’t think that was the car, do you?”

“No”, replied Elyza. “That was the sound of the ship docking.”

=•==•==•===•====•

“Shouldn’t there be a map somewhere? On the wall or something?” asked Alicia as ELyza looked around a corner.

“There! We found it.”

They sprinted to the staircase triumphantly. Alicia climbed the steps first with Elyza following closely behind.

“ _STOP!_ ”

They spun around.

“Jack. Let us go!” called out Alicia.

“I can’t.” He ran forward.

“Shit, shit, shit,” they cursed and turned, bounding up the stairs.

Alicia grabbed the door handle. She turned it desperately. It wouldn’t open. “Come on.”

Realizing she needed to give Alicia a minute, Elyza decided to face Jack.

He started walking up, holding the railing with both hands.

“I don’t want to hurt you. Even though you did strangle me.”

Elyza walked down the stairs towards him. “We do not want to stay here, mate. Why won’t you just let us go?”

“This isn’t just about me anymore. Your family has Reed. I don’t know what happened but they got him. Connor needs to make a trade. You for him.”

Alicia’s mouth dropped at that.

“I don’t trust you,” she replied.

“Wait-“

Alicia threw her body weight onto the door and it finally burst open. She escaped out the door. She yelled back for Elyza to follow her.

Jack glared at the blonde. “Get out of my way.”

“Not a chance.”

He grabbed onto her shirt and pulled hard.

Elyza’s heart dropped as she felt her center of gravity tip over the stairs. She realized that she was going down. And if she was going down, she was taking Jack with her.

She tightly gripped his shoulders and together they crashed down one long set of stairs.

Elyza felt every bump, every spot where her body collided with the hard metal staircase. Jack’s heavy body even crashed into hers once or twice, his elbow hitting her jaw or his heel kicking her shin. It stung in the same spot where he kicked her earlier.

Their bodies rolled down the stairs, landing on the floor, groaning and squirming. Her body was going to be black and blue in the morning.

He groaned, “That was for choking me.”

Elyza sat up. She could already feel bruises forming on her abdomen.

Slowly, they stood, using the walls for support.

She raised her hands like an old-timey boxer. If Jack wanted to dance, she could dance.

“Alright, buttface.” She swayed slightly on her feet.

Before she could even think about going with a right hook or jab, a fist collided with Jack’s cheek, sending his back hurtling into the wall. His body hit the floor with a satisfying _umpf._

Alicia shook out her hand. “I don’t know about you, but he was getting on my nerves.”

“Alicia.” Elyza’s fists unclenched and dropped in awe. “I didn’t know you could punch like that.”

“I didn’t either. Turns out I’m pretty awesome,” she smirked.

Elyza closed her eyes and laughed. “Yeah, you are.”

“Are you okay?”

“I will be as soon as we get back on the Abigail.” Elyza muttered, “Strand better not be dead.”

Without a second thought, Alicia grabbed Elyza’s hand and they sprinted up the stairs.

Emerging on the upper deck, they ran to the side of the ship.

Alicia shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand, observing.

The Abigail was out at sea, just a ways away. Her mom and Travis were on the dock. They were guiding a man and woman with sacks over their heads towards a group of people. Nick was in their dinghy in the water.

“Nick! Niiick!” Alicia yelled and waved her arms.

Nick’s head jolted up. He saw them and leaped to his feet.

They couldn’t make out his words. But soon Madison turned around and looked up at the ship.

She shoved the man and woman at the group of people.

Paying the woman no mind, Connor removed the sack from his brother’s head.

“Reed?”

But Reed wasn’t Reed anymore. The walker lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Connor’s ear, ripping the flesh from bone.

Elyza and Alicia heard him cry out as they climbed over the ship railing and jumped for their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading comments.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very open to suggestions for the story. I know not all of us like certain plot things in Fear (I sure don't) so I'm open to everything instead of following the story. Which would be roughly btw but still somewhat true.


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